Express your opinion to the driver with emoticons… Emoji jacket

Even in Europe, where bicycle paths are relatively well maintained, there are still dangerous places. According to the European Transportation Safety Council ETSC, there were reported 19,450 deaths in bicycle accidents on streets in the EU region from 2010 to 2018.

As part of the Share the Road campaign, Ford Europe has unveiled a prototype of the Emoji Jacket, a cycling jacket designed to display emojis on an LED matrix and facilitate communication between cyclists and drivers.

Ford Europe is now explaining that emoticons are becoming an essential means of quickly communicating opinions to other parties. The emoji jacket can be operated with a remote control mounted on the handlebar. For example, you can convey the current situation and feelings around you by displaying arrows indicating a change of direction left and right, an exclamation mark in a triangle indicating danger, and a specific facial expression. This allows the emoji jacket to be one of the ways to relieve tension between the driver and the cyclist using a widely understood means of communication.

Of course, the emoji jacket has not been commercialized as it is still a prototype. However, the fact that the driver can be informed of the presence with a glowing emoticon and an indication of intention is possible can give a sense of stability in night riding. Related information can be found here .